Graham Arnold, coach of the Iraqi national team, expressed his frustration over the loss his team suffered against the Jordanian national team by a score of 1-0, in the quarterfinals of the Arab Cup Qatar 2025.

Graham Arnold said in the press conference held after the match: "I feel a sense of frustration because of today’s loss, as we deserved to qualify for the semifinals. The lesson I take is the necessity to start matches strongly, as Jordan was organized and cohesive from the beginning of the match, while the Iraqi team began to play properly in the second half."

He added: "I am not satisfied with the team’s performance in the first half, and if we want to qualify for the World Cup, we must play from the start as we did in the second half. Nevertheless, I feel proud of the players and what they delivered. I wanted to try some players during the tournament, and I noticed many positive things. There will be discussions with the players in the upcoming period."

He explained: "We suffered from the injuries of Ayman Hussein and Ali Al-Hammadi, and we were unable to bring in additional players. The goal of participating in the tournament was to refine the players and give them experience. We gave opportunities to several new players due to the absence of five players because of injury. We are working for the benefit of Iraq and seeking to prepare for the World Cup playoff in the best possible way."

He continued: "The Arab Cup tournament is wonderful in terms of organization and the logistical capabilities are excellent. I was here with the Australian team during the 2022 World Cup, and I know well Qatar’s ability to organize and its football infrastructure. I am happy with this organization, and the tournament includes distinguished teams on the technical level, so it was great to be part of this important event."